page_title: East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine
section_title: Community Service Learning Centers
hierarchical_section_title: East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine / Community Service Learning Centers
caption_attribution_description: English: Updated map of CSLC's.
context_page_description: East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine is the dental school at East Carolina University. It is North Carolina's second dental school, which enrolled its inaugural class in the fall of 2011. ECU SoDM was established to address the shortage of dentists in the rural regions across North Carolina. It serves North Carolina statewide by educating more dentists, with the primary focus of student recruitment being students who desire to return to rural and underserved areas to provide oral health care.
  The SoDM built 8 community service learning centers located in rural and underserved areas throughout the state. The students will complete nine-week rotations at the service learning centers during their final year of study.
context_section_description: East Carolina built eight Community Dental Centers located in rural and underserved areas throughout the state. Fourth-year students will complete nine-week rotations at three of the 8 clinics.  Each center will accommodate four to five students.  Those students will be taught by dental school faculty members based in the centers, along with advanced dental residents. The students and faculty will offer much-needed dental care to citizens in the areas surrounding the centers.  Each clinic will have an office with 14 operatories, X-ray equipment, educational spaces, among other things.
  As of February 1, 2017, the SoDM all 8 locations of the Community Service Learning Centers are operative:
  Ahoskie
  Elizabeth City
  Sylva
  Spruce Pine
  Lillington
  Thomasville
  Lumberton
  Bolivia
  On October 20, 2009, the first three locations were announced: Ahoskie, Elizabeth City and Sylva.  The Ahoskie clinic is located beside Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.  The Elizabeth City clinic is built on a parcel of land across from Albemarle Hospital and College of The Albemarle.  The Sylva clinic is located on a site at Southwestern Community College in Jackson County.
  The first groundbreaking occurred at the Ahoskie clinic on August 23, 2011.  The $3 million building is located on 113 Hertford County High Road. The dental clinic shares the building with Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center.  The 8,000sq ft, two-story building will be home to the corporate office of RCCHC as well.  This dental clinic serves the residents of Hertford, Bertie, Northampton, Gates and other surrounding counties.
  On January 19, 2011 the fourth community dental center was announced.  The center is located in Lillington in Harnett County.  It is located beside First Choice Community Health Center, a primary care facility.  The 7,700-square-foot (720 m²) facility houses 16 treatment rooms, X-ray equipment, educational space and more.
  On August 2, 2011 the fifth community dental center was announced.  The center is located in Spruce Pine near Mount Mitchell in Mitchell County.  This dental center helps people who live in the Mayland area, which comprises Mitchell County, Avery County and Yancey County.  Blue Ridge Community Hospital, also located in Spruce Pine, partners with this center.
  On May 7, 2012, Robeson County commissioners voted to appropriate 2.5 acres of land to the SoDM for construction of a community service learning center in Lumberton.
  On June 1, 2012 the sixth community dental center was announced. The center is located in Thomasville in Davidson County, North Carolina.
  The Davidson clinic was built on the campus of Davidson County Community College. Construction was paid for with funds appropriated by the state to ECU.
caption: Location of the Community Dental Centers (in red) and Greenville (in purple)
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